Sir Marrok and Princess Caoimhe
by knitterlywitch
Summary: Banned from the Hogwarts library in 1979, for a supposed Pro-werewolf bias, this tale was saved from destruction by a group known as the Marauders. Now, for the first time ever, this tale is available online. Published in 1379, all errors due to age.


Twas Not in My Tyme, 'twas not in your Tyme, But it was in Some-One's Tyme, There Was a Knight, a Gentil, Chivalrous and Loving man who Served his King and contree Faythefullee. This knight knew of Magick and of speylles of healing; he had bene taught by the warlok, Godric Gryffindore of the moore, a brayve man gyfted in the Magickal artes aynd in the skylls of the sworde.

The knight, a man called Marrok, lov'd with a love so puyre, the daughter of the King of the lande. Her nayme was Caoimhe, forsooth, her name was veree fitting; she was a lovyng wyomyn. She was fain aynd dark aynd beautifyl. She lov'd Marrok too, forsooth, and dreem'd of his wyfe being.

Buyt, marryed they coulde nat be, fore the Pryncesses broyther had fallyn under her wyomnly speyll aynd wished to her husbande be. So, the Prynce, a man caylled told his fayther, 'Sende Marrok off to my mother's broyther's kingdome. Hayve hym figt wyth the men ther aynd defend the lande. Mayny men have dyied aynd Marrok is the beste knight, he wyll help hold the lande.'

Knowying the wysdome of his son's wurds, the king sent the knight awy. Befor he levt his ladiey-love, to her he sayd, 'To Devonshyre I must yede, but, I mayke this oayth to ye, verily, I wyll retyrn erlong aynd iwis ye fayther shayll let us be marryed. Be faytheful to me whyle I am gone, I love ye.' And to hym, the pryncess sayd, 'I will myss thee, my love, but faytheful I shall be. I wyll love thee and should thee dyie beyfor retyrning to my syde, I will gryeve for thee as though thou is my husbande and has sharyed my bed. Anoyther I will nevyr anoyther love.'

Marrok travyled sywiftly to Devonshyre kingdome, aynd helped bryng viktory. He couyld now retyrn to his ladiey-love.

But, verily, he grew weery aynd on the sied of the rode, he stoppyed to rest on the top of a hyill called Stoatshead. Full was the moone abouve Sir Marrok's head, but no knowtice did he tayke. Swyevens of hys ladiey-love soone fylled his heade.

Thyn, near morniying, to the sounde of a wyomyn's screams, he a-woke, grabbing hys wande of holley and his sword. Ayt the bottome of the hyill, was the mayd and a were-wolf. The mayd was tryng to escaype the creyture's cluytches.

'Be-gyon, foul creyture,' he caylled to the beast, chargying down the hyill at the wolf-man.

The creyture, with eyes of citryne aynd fandgs the siyze of dayggers. Droole drypped from its teeyth aynd the siyze of Marrok's horse it was. Runnying from where the maidyn was, it cayme towards the knight, gnashing its teeyth and growyling. Then, befor one speyll left the liyps of Marrok, the creyture had its fandgs sunk into hys leyge.

He would die, he was certain; no effect dide hys sword hayve nor hys Magick speylles. His eyes he closed and his laidey love he thought. Forsooth, soon the Payne was gone. Frym hys He opened hys eyes and saw'd a Girl-Chiyld wyth bloode aryond her fayce.

Though hys payne was greate, Marrok knyew it Was his Duty to see thayt the Chiyld was unharymed. 'That creyture, the beaste who attackyed me; did he ingure thee?'

The chiyld's eyes fillede wyth teares, 'I Was that creyture, brayve knight. A creyture liyke me attakyed my hoeme; kyilled my mothyr and fayther. Now wheyn the moon becyoms full, I becyom this. Meant to hurt you, I did not, pleese, sir, allow me to heal ye. I know of whyte Magick and can tend to ye wounds. But, be waryned, a were-wolf ye will still be.'

Verily, Marrok let the Girl-chiyld, who was called Agnes; heal hym wyth the speylles of Magick. He askyed the chiyld who caryd for her. She told hym no-one. He asked her to come wyth hym to the kingdome of Pryncess Caoimhe aynd lyve as hys wayrd. 'Truly?' the chiyld asked weepying. 'Zounds, on the love of my laidey I do so swear.' And an unbrekyable vow they dyd make.

Whyn to the kingdome he did retyrn, he told his laidey-love of the byte on hys legge and the cyrse he did carrey and of the girl-chiyld Agnes and her plyght. The Pryncess sayd to her Knight, 'Thee is still myne, alwayes. The chiyld I shall call myne-owne. I still love thee, Knight. To-night thee must ask my fayther for my hande. He shyall say yes and thee will be mine husbande aynd thy wayrd our chiyld.'

The Prynce, from behynd the door stood, hear'd thys talke of maryage betwine hys syster and the knight aynd decyded he woyldn't allowe it. He thought of a moste Wicked planne to get Caoimhe to be hys. He wynt to hys fayther and askyed, 'Fayther, willst thou grant me a wish?'

'Anythyng,' was the King's replye.

'Graynt me the hande of my syster in marryage. Let me take her into my bed as my wyfe.'

'I cannot, my son. Thy syster is thy syster and one's syster and one's wyfe is not to be the same.'

'You stuypyd olde man,' yelled the Prynce loudly, pullying hys wande of Yew out of hys robes, 'She is the faire'st maidyn in the lande and I aym futyre king. I desrve her.'

The King raysed hys hande aynd banynished the Prynce from hys castle forever.

Caoimhe and Marrok were wed't that next morn'. They were happie for the fyrst fortnight, paymperying Agnes wyth all manner of delights.

But soon, the moon was to be fyll agayn. At Agnes' insryctyon, she and Marrok left the castle for a cayve in the woodes where no harym to hyumans. When they returned, Caoimhe saw'd bytes and scratches all o'er their bodys. 'Oh, my husbande and chiyld, thou art hurt. Can theyse scars not be heal'd?'

'No, my laidey, the cannot. Whyn there is no hyuman for the Wolf to attak, it harms itself. Theyres nothing to be done,' said the chyild.

The Pryncess, knowing Great Magick aylso, did not take for an answer this. She weynt to her fryends, Laidey Rowena and Laidey Helga, askyng 'Laideys, thee know Magick far greyter than myne, thou must help me.' Crying as she speak'd, she tolde the laideys of her husbande and chyild's plyght.

The laideys took pitee on the Pryncess. 'In the nyght, when the moon is gone from the skie, pick the berries of Ellhorn tree and crysh them. Thyn, mix them with this potion and ye shall see, Pryncess, the fyorm of an beast. Thys is the creyture you will becyome.'

'But,' asked the Pryncess 'how shall I becyome this creyture?'

'When ye husbande and chyild are gyone; when the moon is full, think of this creyture and why ye must become it. It may tayke a whyle, but, eventully, ye and it shall become one.'

The pryncess looked fearfyl, 'wyill I stay this creyture forever?'

'No, jyust think of ye hyuman forme and ye will return.'

The pryncess did as she was instrycted. She gaythered elderberries and cryshed them. She then myxed theym wiyth the potion. Then, she draynk it and saw'd the forme of a dog, a layrge dog wiyth fur the coloure of her hayre.

When the moon was full abouve her heade and her faymil gone, she'd pycture the dog. For three yeres, thyngs chaynged, her fayther diyed, she becayme Quyeen, aynd the wouynds on her chiyld and husbande greyw larger and hayrder to heal. By the ende of three yeres, though, forsooth, the Pryncess, now Quyeen, was abyle to become a dog.

On the next full moon, she came to her husbande and chyild and say'd 'Husbande, Daygther, please, let me come with thee.'

'Ye cannot, my Laidey, ye are hyuman, the wolf will hayrm ye.'

'I Am a hyuman; this is not a lie. But, my husband, let me showe thee.' Caoimhe transforymed into a dog aynd then back to her hyuman forme. 'Now, thee wilst not be alone and no harym to thyself will thee do.'

They ruled the kingdome fairly aynd all the people of the laynde loved them. The Queen, Her Husbande and their chyild lived happilie untile the ende of theyre lives. The End


End file.
